B.C. marine scientists are ecstatic after spotting a sperm whale in Johnstone Strait for the first time in more than three decades.

Whale researcher Jared Towers with Fisheries and Oceans Canada could hardly believe his ears when he heard echolocation clicks recorded by Orcalab.

The clicks that were being picked up by his equipment sounded to his trained ears like they were coming from a sperm whale, which hadn’t been spotted in the water between Vancouver Island and the mainland for many decades.